Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Guards
The Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Guards (TRG) are a paramilitary group in the USSRT that work in cooperation with the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Army. Although serving in the Revolutionary Guards is considered completion of military service, the TRG are not considered a part of the Tabi'atstani military per se, and are better described as an armed force loyal to the Communist Party of Tabi'atstan rather than the Tabi'atstani state. In their function as a Praetorian Guard, the Revolutionary Guards work closely with the 8th Guards Tank Division, the 12th Guards Tank Division, and the 72nd Guards Motor Rifle Division. History The Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Guards were formed under the reign of President Lyudin, who was worried about the loyalty of the regular armed forces. As such, he created the TRG as a paramilitary force to protect the communist party and its leaders in the event of a military coup or civil uprising. The organisation's responsibilities have since been made to cover a much wider series of affairs, including general internal security and counterinsurgency. The TRG worked with loyal government-aligned TRA units during the Second Tabi'atstani Civil War from 2000 to 2002, and fought on the front lines of the conflict as well as assuming rear echelon roles. In late June 2007, the TRG underwent a purge, with its leader Major General Ilia Yefimovich Lagunov and other senior officers being imprisoned as part of an effort by President Louis Chan to secure his grip on power. Organisation Unlike the regular military, the Tabi'atstani Revolutionary Guards are focused more on maintaining internal security and putting down armed insurrections. It is also much more politicised. The TRG's operations are geared more towards asymmetric warfare and non-traditional security operations compared with the TRA. The TRG is almost solely a land-based force, although it does own a fleet of helicopters and other aircraft for transport duties as well as small numbers of coastal defence missile batteries and small vessels. Whilst it is recognised as a military service under Tabi'atstani law, the TRG is recognised as a separate force distinct from the regular armed forces. Structure The TRG is comprised of 8 active divisions: *[[1st TRG Tank Division Anûšiya TRG Leonid Ushakov|1st TRG Tank Division Anûšiya TRG Leonid Ushakov]] *2nd TRG Tank Division Ettehādiye *3rd TRG Motorised Infantry Division *4th TRG Motorised Infantry Division *5th TRG Motorised Infantry Division *6th TRG Division *7th TRG Division Farnavaz Kazemi *8th TRG Division Payami Maalganj Apart from these formations, there are also 24 reserve divisions and other assorted non-divisional units. The TRG is also part of the joint command of the Samarhedze. Size The TRG has an active strength of some 145,000 personnel, and another 432,000 troops in its reserve forces. TRG Escort Command The TRG Escort Command is a special unit tasked with the Chairman of the Communist Party of Tabi'atstan/Tabi'atstani President's personal protection. It is made up of 31 officers and 112 enlisted soldiers, and is one of the few groups of armed personnel allowed near the Tabi'atstani leader. Three groups of eleven of these troops are used in escort duties on a rotational basis, whilst the rest are used as drivers, orderlies, valets, waiters, couriers and for communication duties and guarding residences not in present use. Under the presidency of Louis Juk-Liu Chan, their role has been somewhat superseded by the Defenders of the Union. Senior commanders Combat history Since 1973, the TRG has been combating insurgents of the People's Mujahedin of Tabi'atstan, particularly in the central desert areas of the country where the insurgents are most active. Equipment Firearms Armoured vehicles Artillery Aircraft Watercraft Coastal defence *HY-1A CSSC-2 Silkworm Other vehicles *GAZ-63 *ZiL-157 Influence Political Almost all members of the TRG are also card carrying members of the Communist Party of Tabi'atstan, and all senior leaders of the TRG are members of the CPT. Retired TRG members have also been elected as mayors, ambassadors, members of the legislature, and other high ranking government or party jobs. As such, the TRG has not insignificant clout in the Tabi'atstani political establishment. Although it is not a homogenous group, TRG members generally tend to be hardline conservatives and supporters of the government. Economic activity The TRG has control over several economic interests in strategic areas of the Tabi'atstani economy, although the CPT began to order the TRG to drop purely commercial interests to prevent it from becoming too powerful in its own right. As some retired TRG leaders have been reassigned as managers of state companies, the TRG holds informal influence over several state companies. Controversy The TRG's role in purely economic interests have brought controversy and allegations of corruption against it, although the CPT ordered it to drop interests that were purely commercial beginning in the 1990s. Given its separation from the regular armed forces, the TRG has sometimes been involved in covert Tabi'atstani operations overseas. See also *Paramilitary forces of Tabi'atstan Category:Tabi'atstan Category:Military of Tabi'atstan